//------------------------------// // 73. Golden Dawn // Story: Kill Me Now // by Golden Script //------------------------------// “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…” It was a filly. A little filly. A blond mane-and-tailed, dark blue coated, golden eyed Pegasus. No more than five or six years old. What was she doing here? Why was she here? Who is she? My mind was snapped out of its confused state when the little filly whimpered and backed up against the wall and shut her eyes in fear. “H-hello.” I said slowly, putting the hand down and turning the lights on. She continued to whimper, pushing against the wall, trying to get away from me. “Hey, there’s no need to be scared.” I said lowering my head so that she was at eye level. Still no change, she just wouldn’t stop. “I'm not gonna hurt you.” I said in a soft voice as I touched her cheek with my hoof; she flinched but opened her eyes. When she saw the look on my face she calmed down. “What’s your name?” I asked, she stared at my mouth in semi-wonder. “I can't hear.” She said in a disused voice. I was utterly shocked. “Wait, you can't hear? You’re deaf?” she seemed to recognize the last word I said and nodded. “I was born this way.” She looked down in shame. I pulled her chin up to look at me. “Where are your parents?” I mouthed to her. “I never knew my parents.” She looked down. “Where do you live?” she was still looking down. I pulled her chin up again, gently. “Is there a better way for us to communicate?” “I know how to read!” she said in her… garbled… way, I actually found this kinda cute. “Great!” I went over to a desk and fetched a piece of paper and a pencil. ‘Where do you live?’ I wrote. “I don’t have a home right now.” ‘Why are you here?’ “I smelled something sweet and wanted to see if I could get something to eat.” She said, putting her head down and smiling sheepishly. ‘I’ll be right back.’ I went over to the pantry and got out one of Bon Bon’s new candies and brought it over to the filly. I placed it on the ground in front of her and smiled. “Are you sure I can eat this?” she looked up at me. I nodded ‘yes’ and her face lit up, happier than I had seen her yet. She ate the treat before I had time to blink. “That was yummy!” she said, grinning like a foal! ‘Want another?’ I asked on the paper. “Would I!” she beamed, so did I. She ate five more before sitting down and saying she was full. After that we decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to stay sitting on the kitchen floor so we moved to the living room. ‘So, is there anything else I should know about you?’ I wrote. “Umm… let’s see, I'm deaf, I know how to read, I'm an orphan… I think we pretty much covered everything.” She said sadly. ‘Oh, ok. I'm sorry.’ “It’s not your fault. But may I ask you a question?” I nodded enthusiastically. “why are you sitting like that?” she pointed to my flank, which sat like a human. ‘I find it more comfortable, plus it gives me a better view of my surroundings.’ I scribbled on the paper. “interesting.” She said. She seemed to study how I was sitting for a minute, then got up and did the cutest impression of me! It was freaking adorable! “I-is this right?” she asked, struggling to keep herself upright. ‘It could use some work, but I think it’s good for now.’ She chuckled. “thanks.” She just sat like that, trying to keep her balance. We sat for a few minutes, she finally got it down right and figured out how to use her balance in keeping her up when the door opened and slammed shut. Of course she didn’t hear it, but my head jerk caused her to fall over. “Lyra, I'm home, sorry I wasn’t here earlier; I had to… go… out? Lyra, who is that?” she asked as she walked around the corner. The filly was still focusing on her task of sitting up right again and didn’t notice Bon Bon. “I haven’t gotten her name yet.” I told the mare that just walked in. “What’s your name little one?” she asked. “She’s kinda deaf.” I told her. “Oh.” ‘We have company.’ I wrote on the paper. The little filly looked up and clung onto me with fear in her eyes. She didn’t know who Bonny was. ‘It’s ok, this is Bon Bon; she lives here with me.’ I wrote, she read it and looked up shakily. “H-h-hello.” She stuttered out. Bon Bon waved back and smiled. “Why did you need to be out again?” I asked Bon Bon. “Well, I just had to get something real fast, don’t worry about it.” she assured dismissively. “We should be accommodating our guest. Ask her what her name is.” She told me. “ok.” I then wrote ‘what’s your name?’ on the paper and she looked up unsurely. “Um… m-my name… is…” she started to twiddle her hooves and mumbled something even I couldn’t hear. ‘What?’ I asked. “My name’s Golden Dawn.” She said just above a whisper. ‘well, Golden, how did you get here?’ “I ran away.” she looked down sadly. ‘ran away from where?’ There was no answer and she turned her head away from the paper, effectively ending the conversation. I exchanged a look with Bon Bon. She shrugged. ‘follow me.’ I decided that we should let the filly stay with us at least for the night; I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I kicked a deaf homeless filly out on the streets. I lead her to the guest bedroom where she curled up on the bed and closed her eyes. I knew that if I needed to rouse her I could touch her, but it still gave me the feeling of finality. I went back to Bon Bon and sat on the couch next to her. “what are we gonna do?” I asked her. “I don’t know.” She answered simply. “whatever we can, I guess.”